Our 2 year Foundation Course offers you the opportunity to study for a BTEC Level 3 Performing Arts Diploma specialising in Musical Theatre or Acting, alongside an intensive technical training programme. Both elements of the course are FREE for students eligible for ESFA funding. We also offer an optional and affordable audition preparation package which students can add to their training programme. This package includes private singing lessons, private acting lessons, fitness classes and other specialist classes related to your course. Since our Foundation Course launched in 2003 we have had a 100% success rate in getting our graduating students placed in colleges for their next level of training.
Level 3 Performing Arts Qualification in Musical Theatre / Acting
We offer two Performing Arts courses at Level 3 – Musical Theatre Foundation Course and Acting Foundation Course. Both programmes prepare students with the technical skills and performance training to access degree and higher level vocational courses. There is a free training option which combines your BTEC Level 3 Diploma with our technical training programme. In addition, students
can choose to top-up their training hours with our Audition Preparation package.
In year one, students attending Stageworks will arrive with a variety of talent. Some may have a higher skill set in dancing or acting but have little singing experience or vice versa.
Our objective is to build on existing skills and introduce, develop and expand the areas that students have less experience in.
The Musical Theatre or Acting course classes will consist of core performing arts subjects and a syllabus that will earn students nationally recognised qualifications. These include;
Ballet
Musical Theatre Dance
Tap
Technical Study in Dance & Drama
Classical Theatre
Contemporary Theatre
Contemporary Dance
Monologues & Text Study
Integrated Performance
Ensemble Singing
Stageworks also offer an additional package of classes that includes a weekly 30 minute private singing lesson and fitness, strength and stamina classes. This would take you up to 25 hours of training per week. Should you not be local we have accommodation facilities available that are in walking distance from the College (potential funding support option available).
Our class sizes are kept to a minimum so that we can give you the attention you need to flourish and build on your skills over the two years you are with us. This also gives you the opportunity to play both lead and ensemble roles.
As part of the course, all students can perform in a full musical production staged by ‘The Musical Theatre Company’, which boasts the highest standard of amateur Musical Theatre performance. Weekly rehearsals boost training whilst giving you a very similar experience to those in the West End, with a live orchestra and professional set and costumes. Previous productions include Kipps – Half a Sixpence, Priscilla Queen of the Desert, 42nd Street, Ghost, Grease, Footloose and Guys and Dolls. We believe everyone should be given a chance to take centre stage.
In addition to our fully-funded performing arts course, we also offer an optional programme of audition preparation training which we highly recommend for students who are interested in furthering their training at performing arts colleges, drama schools or at degree level once they graduate. If you choose this programme, you will train for an extra 7 hours per week – taking your total training to up to 25 hours per week.
These classes include weekly private 30 minute singing lessons and fitness, strength and stamina classes as well as specialist classes related to your course specialism which are designed to extend and strengthen your technique and build your stamina to prepare you to train at Diploma or Degree level. We believe that students who are serious about becoming professional performers should be training 25 hours per week to give them the best chance of success when it comes to securing college offers and scholarships.
Fees are approximately £1,800 per year for the Audition Preparation package. Scholarships are available for a select number of students. Please contact us for details.
We prove our courses works year after year with increasing numbers of students graduating with several offers to Diploma and Degree courses. Not only do we see students who have already received college offers be successful at re-auditioning with enough knowledge to earn full funding, but we also see students who began training at Stageworks with a lack of skill in some areas, not only earn places at some of the best colleges in the country, but also be offered fully funded places. To us, this confirms these colleges identify the skill and knowledge of our students. The course has been running since 2003 and every year we have a 100% graduate success rate.
Some of the many colleges our students have earnt places at include:
- Arts Educational
- Bird College
- Cambridge Performing Arts
- Laban
- Laine Theatre Arts
- London Contemporary Dance School
- London School of Musical Theatre
- London Studio Centre
- Masters Performing Arts College
- Millennium
- Mountview
- Performers College
- The Urdang Academy
We have a range of afforable properties all within walking distance to the college and St Neots train station, with possible access to residential support funding and competitive rates if paying privately. Our students pay £80-90 per week, including utilities.
For the majority of students, this will be the first time they have lived away from the family home. Instead of experiencing this for the first time in the hustle and bustle of the country’s capital, deciding who to live with and being solely responsible for sourcing and paying for accommodation and utilities, we offer a safe and practical stepping stone for students to learn the added responsibilities of looking after themselves.
All Stageworks tutors are qualified or working professionals with the relevant professional experience to advise and educate students towards the standards required for a full-time three year college course. Many of our tutors have either been taught or have been teaching at various three year vocational performance colleges so have direct knowledge of the courses and the specifics required.
Guest teachers and additional working professionals are invited to the college on a regular basis to enhance your experience and knowledge.
All students attending Stageworks for the first time will arrive with a variety of talent, some whose specialism is acting or singing may never have danced before, and others who have danced for many years may never have sung in public or taken part in a drama class. We are looking for trainability and passion, our objective is to build on existing skills and introduce, develop and expand the areas that students have less experience in.
Stageworks graduates
100% college placement success since 2003. Find out where our students have gone on to study.